A Beautiful Complexity
by Jananae
Summary: Hermione discusses her world and changing views with Ron. Inspired by the supposed "Piano Scene" between them in the upcoming Deathly Hallows film. Oneshot. R/Hr


**A/N-OK, so the update I posted on my profile yesterday was completely wrong. Muses really do seem to come out of nowhere, and this is the result ;) . Since I'm in full _Harry Potter_ mode right now, this is a short little Ron/Hermione piece. It was inspired by the supposed "Piano Scene" between them in the upcoming Deathly Hallows film. Here is a picture of what I'm talking about: **

**rupertgrintphotogallery._com_/_displayimage_.php?album=1364&pos=0 (Remove the underscores surrounding "com" and "displayimage" in the URL)**

**As such, this is more in the canon of the films than it is the canon of the books. Even so, I suppose this scene _could _have happened somewhere in _Deathly Hallows_. Anyway, enjoy this short oneshot :)**

As Ron continued his descent down the stairs of Grimmauld Place, he heard a noise break the silence, a sound he never thought he would hear in this dwelling: A piano. He looked up the stairs toward where he had just left Harry in Sirius' old room, but of course it wasn't coming from there. It was rising up the stairs from the floors below.

He followed the steps downward until he reached the drawing room, the source of the music. As he peeked through the doorway, his attention was drawn to an old piano in the far corner, its bench occupied by Hermione, her back to him. Instead of entering the room, he simply folded his arms and leaned against the door jam, watching her as she continued a simple yet beautiful tune.

When she had finished the short piece, Ron said, amused, "I didn't know you could play." Hermione spun around in her seat, surprise coloring her voice as she said embarrassingly, "It's nothing, I was just toying with it a little bit."

"Didn't sound like 'toying' to me," Ron said with a smirk in her direction as he entered the room. "Sounds like you actually know how to play," he admired as he drew level with the bench Hermione was seated at.

"It's nothing..." she repeated, more quietly this time. "I was having a hard time clearing my head, and I saw this," she said with a wave of her hand toward the instrument in front of her. "I just thought I'd give it a try."

"What needs clearing out of your head?" Ron asked as he sat beside her on the bench. But instead of answering his question, Hermione returned her attention to the keys in front of her, her fingers finding a slow, lilting melody. Again, it was just a simple tune, but Ron watched her hands in amazement.

As Hermione continued the small piece, she heard a single high-note interject. She turned to her right and saw Ron with his index finger on an F sharp key. She gave a small smile as he added random notes to the tune she was already playing.

They continued this odd duet in silence until Hermione said abruptly, "When I was seven, Mum and Dad introduced me to the piano. Even at that early age, I was well ahead of my classmates, and my parents thought music would be a nice compliment to academics." She gave a sideways glance toward Ron as he watched her, still depressing single keys in harmony with her own theme. "They hired a private instructor, and I started taking lessons. I was so enthusiastic about it! It was one of those things that was new and exciting. And just like my schooling, I wanted to prove that I was better than those around me. So I practiced and practiced. And, surprisingly, I was actually pretty good at it. Mum and Dad were really proud," she said with a self-satisfied smile.

As Ron listened to her story, he noticed how the piece she was playing slipped into a more minor key, the grin falling from her face. "But when I was ten, I left the piano behind. I was rehearsing one day when I suddenly realized...I wasn't enjoying it anymore." Her hands slowed, the melody less beautiful. "It wasn't fun anymore. Playing the piano the way I did wasn't bringing me the joy that it used to.

"And that's the thing, isn't it?" she said, looking toward Ron. "When you're a kid, when you're young, things are new and exciting. Everything needs exploring," she said as she looked longingly at her moving fingers. "But when you get older..., you realize people have expectations of you. People have hopes and dreams for you _because_ you're so good at what you do. You're not allowed to think things are just...'fun'," she said sadly. "You have obligations and duties now. The joy you once had for simple things disappears. I guess you could say...they lose their magic," Hermione lamented with a bittersweet glance in Ron's direction.

He gave her an indiscernible, worrying look, his fingers no longer tapping the keys. "Are you having second thoughts about this Horcrux Hunt? I mean, your parents and everything. I know you're missing them. Are you sure you don't want to be in hiding with them?" he asked her quietly.

She turned to look at him fully, her fingers briefly stopping. Giving him a small smile, she said just as quietly, "You should know me better than that. You _know_ my place is here with you and Harry. Do you honestly think I could sit this out?" she smirked as she returned to her tune, slipping back into the major key. "No, I don't want to leave. I belong here, and this is where I'll stay. I may not be completely ecstatic about the job we have in front of us...but it's still partially my task. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Voldemort needs to be defeated, and we're the ones to do it. All three of us." Ron gave her another small smile before returning to his single-key depressions once more.

"No, what I really miss is just...this," she said with a nod of her head toward the keys. "I miss the simplicity of everything. Of how things used to be. When you're young, everything's black and white, and everything's simple. You enjoy things for what they are, not for what you're trying to accomplish or achieve. I know this Hunt isn't supposed to be 'enjoyable'," she said quickly before Ron could comment. "I just miss when everything was _easy_." And then, more to herself than to Ron, she said in a low voice, "It'd be nice if we could return to some of those times..."

They lapsed back into silence for another few minutes, simple song emanating from the keys beneath their fingers. Finally, Ron said quietly, "Things _are_ far more complex than they used to be. But that doesn't mean the situation we're in should _just_ be seen as a burden." Ron concentrated all of his efforts on the keys in front of him, refusing to look in Hermione's direction. "Though this mess may not be 'fun', I think beautiful things can still come out of it," he said, nodding towards their music.

Hermione looked over at him. His ears burned red as he stared intently at his moving fingers. She gave him a warm smile that he could not see and concentrated once more on the tune they were creating. As they continued playing, their hands only inches apart, Hermione couldn't help but notice how well his single notes somehow complimented and fit so well with the piece she was playing. She smiled inwardly, enjoying the simpleness of it all: It really was something beautiful out of chaos.

**A/N-Comments, criticisms, and reviews are always very much appreciated. I'm not sure when my next fanfiction will be, but we'll see what ideas happen to jump into my head next ;) . Until next time, happy reading!**


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